, 1887-12-07

| American entry and enterprise, aud the
wonderful natural advantages and resources
developed by u century's natural growth
yet, when an atteuipt Is made IT, Justify n
scheme whi III permits tax tn he laid upon
every consumer IN the land tor the benefit
Of our manutu cturers, 1t Is quite beyond
a reasonable demand for the government
to regard IL suits the purposes of lllanufactu'
ring and infant indus ries, still needing
the highest and greatest degree OF favor and
care that eau be wruny from federal legisla.
tion.
WORD PoR WAGE WORKERS.
It Is also said the increase in the price of
present tariff Is necessary in order that
higher wages may be paid to all
workingmen employed in manufactures
than are paid for what Is called ''pauper
labor" In all, we acknowledge the
force OF an argument which involves
OF our laboring people, Our labor is honor
able in the eyes of every American citizen,
and lies ut the foundation of our develop.
ment; II Is entitled without the alIectati Of
hypocrisy to the utmost regard The
standard of our lubDrer's lie should not ne
marred by that of another country less fav-
ored, and they are entitled to their iull
/ share of our advantages. BY the last census
it is made to appear that of the 1920, 800 OF
our population engaged in all kinds of in
]
ture, 4074 23S in professional and personal
service, 2400,S7G of whom are domestic
| servants and labOrers, while 1,sl0256 are
employed in trade aud transportation, and
1887, 1l2 are classed as employed at manu-.
featuring and mining. For present pur.
poses, however, the latter number given
| should I've considerably reduced. Without
attempting to euumerute all II will be con.
ceded that there should be deducted from
those which it includes. 375 li5 carpenters
and joiners, 295, l7U miliners, dress makers
| and seauIstresses l72 1875 blacksniths, 133,.
/ 756 tai!ors and tailorcsses, 107, 900 maspns,
! 76 2il butchers, Al, 300 bakers, % 1872
| plusterers and 4,SUl manufacturing agri.
cultural implements. leaving 2,623,OS0 per-
sons employed in manufacturing industries
| as are claimed to be benefited by high
tariff. To these the appeal is made to
save their employment and maintain
| their wages by resisting a change. There
should be no disposition to answer such
suggestions by the allegations that they are
i'm "a minority among those who labor, and
therefore should furego an advantage in
the interest OF low prices for the majority.
! Their compensation as may be affected by
operations of tariff laws should at all times
be scruplously kept in view and yet with
slight reflections they will not overlook
the fact that they are consumers with the
rest. That they, too, have their own wants
and those of their families to supply from
their earnings, and that the prices of the
necessares of life as well as the amount of
| those wants will regulate the measure of
their welfare and comfort.
WAGES MUST BE KEPT UP ANYHOW.
But the reduction Of taxation demanded
should be so measured as not to necessitate
or justify either loss Of employment by the
workinguIan or the lessenug OF his wages,
and the profits still remaining to the man
ufacturer after a necessary read djlstment
should furnish no excuse fer the sacrifice
of the interests of his employers in either
their opportunity to worh on the diminua-
tion OF their compensation. Nor can
the worker in manufactures un-
derstand that while high
tariff is claimed to be necessary to allow
payment OF remuneratye wages 1t certainly
results in O very large increase in the price
OF nearly all sorts of manufactures which
in almost countless forms he needs for the
use OF himself and family. He receives at
the desk of his employer his wages, and
perhaps before he reaches his home is
Obliged, in purchase for family use of an
article which embraces his own labor, To
return, in the payment of the increasing
price which the tariff permits the hard
earned compensation of many days Of toll.
The farmer and the agricuturist who man
uafctures nothing, but who pays the in
creased price which the tariff imposes upon
every agricultural Implement upon all he
wears, and upon all he Uses and owns eX-
cept the increase Of his hOcks and herds
and such things as his husbandry produces
from the soil! is invited to aid in maintain.
ing the present situation. Mind he is told
that high duty on imported wool is neces-
sary for the benefit of those
who have sheep to shear in order
that the price OF their wool may be
increased. They, of course, are not re.
minded that the farmer who has no sheep
is by this scheme Obliged in his purchases
of clothing and wooden goods, to pay
tribute to his fellow farmers as well rs to
the manufacturers aud merchant nor is
any mention made OF the fact that the
sheep owners themselves and their house
holds must wear clothing and use other
articles manufactured irom the wool they
sell at tariff prices aud thus, aS cons uuiers,
| must return their share ot the increased
prices to the tradesmen.
TAFFY FOR FARMERS.
think it may he fairly assumed that II
large proportion Ot the sheep owned by the
farmers throughout the country are found
I in small iiocks numbering from twenty
five to fifty. The duty on imported wool
which these sheep yield is ten cents each,
per pound, il OF the value of thirty cents or
less, and twelve cents il ofthe value Of more
than thirty cents. Ii the liberal estimate
of six pounds be allowed for each fleece
the duty thereon would he 60 or ~
cents, and this may be taken as the utmost
enforcement Of its price To the farmer by
reason of this duty. Eighteen dollars would
thus represent the increased price of the
wool from 20 sheep and $50 that from the
wool Of 30 sheep, ard OF present values this
addition would amount To about One-third
OF its price, II, on its sale, the farmer re-
ceives this or less tariff profit, the wool
leaves his hands charged with precisely that
sum which in all its changes Will adhere to
it until it reaches the consumer. When
manufactured into cloth and other goods
and material for use, its cost is not only in
creased to the extent Of the farmers tariff
profit, but u further sum has been added for
the benefit OF the manufacturer under the
operation of other tariff laws In the mean
time the day arrives when the farmer finds
ii necessary to purchase wooden goods and
material tn clothe himself and family for
the winter. When he faces the
tradesmsn tor that purpose, he
discovers that he Is Obliged not only to re-
turn in the way of increased prices, his tar
if profit on the wool he sold, and which
then. p,rhaps, lies hrfDr,, him I'm "A MANN